As a female consumer at the New York Auto Show, I was able to take some
time to climb inside some of the vehicles and take a detailed look at
the interior, instead of just grabbing snapshots of the outside while I
ran past to see the next car on the floor.

One
of the vehicles I spent considerable time with was the 2008 Chrysler
Town & Country Minivan. (In case you didn't know, the 2008 Dodge
Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country Minivans are basically
twin sisters; the main differences lie in trim levels, but they are
otherwise nearly identical.) I took a detailed tour with Chrysler
product manager Kathy Graham, who showed me many of the 35 new and
improved features to arrive on the fifth-generation Chrysler Group
minivans this fall.

My husband drives a 2001 Honda Odyssey, which at the time we bought it,
set the standard for minivans. We bought the vehicle after our last
baby arrived and we realized that my Civic was impractical; we needed
more room to haul the baby and his stroller, as well as a pre-teen and
baseball gear. I refused to go from the sporty life of my racy little
coupe into the "Minivan Mom" persona, so I took his Accord, and my
husband became "Minivan Dad," hauling around the baseball team in the
lap of luxury.

In
the few years since then, the Chrysler minivans have raised the bar
several levels, with improvements that essentially make them more like
"family rooms on wheels."

A variety of seating and storage options include a second-row bench
seat, a Stow 'n Go seating and storage system that allows the
second-row to fold into the floor, or Swivel 'n Go seating that allows
the second-row captain seats to swivel 180 degrees to face rearward.
The third-row seats can flip to allow tailgate viewing out the back of
the van, and also fold flat into the floor manually or with an optional
one-touch power-folding feature as well. All this versatility allows
the driver to choose to transport up to seven people in comfort, or up
to 144 cubic feet of cargo with all the seats down. An optional
removable table can be used in conjunction with the rearward facing
seats to allow back passengers to eat, play games, or finish homework
while driving. Movable pinpoint LED lighting, gentle overhead halo
lighting (below, right), heated first- and second-row seats in both
leather and cloth, 12-volt power outlet, a 110V inverter, and dual- or
tri-zone heating and cooling make the minivan as convenient as any
entry-level New York apartment.

One of the more thoughtful features accessible from the driver's seat
is a new sliding front console (far left) large enough to store even
the largest of lady's purses. The handy unit slides back and forth to
serve either front- or rear-seat passengers, or can be removed entirely
- a real benefit for those whose needs might require storage of a
wheelchair or other mobility assistance. Convenient power functions
include remote start, first- and second-row power windows; power
sliding doors; and a power liftgate with one-touch button on the key
fob and rear-pillar.

In-car
electronics include a dual-DVD multimedia entertainment system that can
play different media at the same time (above, center) or a videogame
system so front and rear passengers can view different entertainment
options via dual 8-inch flipdown screens.

Chrysler's "MyGIG"
multimedia infotainment system features CD/DVD/HDD/MP3/satellite radio
capabilities, plus a 20-gig harddrive with a USB interface that allows
users to download photos and up to 2500 songs. Combine that with Sirius
Satellite radio and backseat TV to allow the driver to benefit from
real-time traffic reporting and automatic route navigation, while
passengers can watch Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon network,
or other television choices. The system offers voice activation for
hands-free operation.

The modern minivan was invented by the
former Chrysler Corporation in 1983. Since then, the Chrysler Group has
sold more than 11 million minivans and invented more than 60 minivan
firsts that have revolutionized the minivan segment, and made their way
into other vehicle segments as well. The new generation of Chrysler
minivans once again sets a standard with features that offer value,
functionality, safety and innovation.

Model lineup and other fine print
Five
models are available for the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town
& Country. Dodge offers two models: the Dodge Grand Caravan SE and
Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. Chrysler offers three models: the Chrysler
Town & Country LX, the Chrysler Town & Country Touring, and the
Chrysler Town & Country Limited.

Powertrain choices for
North America include a new 4.0-liter/240-hp V-6 aluminum engine with
six-speed transmission or a 3.8-liter/198-hp V-6 aluminum engine with
six-speed. Additionally, a 3.3-liter/205-horsepower flex-fuel-capable
V-6 aluminum engine mated to a four-speed transmission is also
available. "Chrysler Group has been a leader in flex-fuel-capable
vehicles," says Larry Lyons, Vice President - front-wheel-drive product
team, Chrysler Group. "We sold our first minivan capable of running on
E85 in 1998, and since then, Chrysler Group has sold more than
1,330,000 flex-fuel minivans."

Manufacturer's suggested retail
hasn't yet been released, though I was told to expect them to be
competitively priced among their peers when the reach market in the
fall of 2007.